Beneath Our Skies
by stars.everlasting
Summary: SasuSaku Month '13 Anthology / / Prompt Three: Watching - "I have always been watching you, Sakura."
1. enchanted

**So I'm back for SasuSaku Month '13! :D Enjoy.**

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**prompt one: holding hands**

_**one: enchanted**_

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Sasuke had hands like those of a pianist's. His fingers were beautifully structured, elongated and slim, and the fact that his skin was smooth and pale only added to the attractiveness of his hands.

It was one of the many things Sakura admired about him, during their genin days. More often than not, she'd catch herself staring wistfully at his hands-during training sessions and missions and team outings and even when she'd bump into him every now and then-dreaming about how those lovely hands would feel, tucked firmly into her own, or wrapped around her waist. Sasuke's hands, cupping her cheek as he leaned in for a kiss.

Her fantasies were short-lived. As things became so much more complicated (mist and senbon and curse seals and forests and suffering and _Sasuke-kunwhoareyouIdon'tknowyouanymore_), Sakura thought less and less about how those hands would feel against her skin; it was ironic how his beautiful, beautiful hands gripped her wrist and held her waist and caught her when she fell, caressed her hair and face with ghost-light touches, now that she could care less about them, more concerned with what Sasuke was becoming.

What she didn't know was that the night she was left on a bench, those same pianist hands that had graced the pressure point on her neck had cupped her cheek and wiped away a few of her tears as their owner placed a lingering kiss to her forehead, before he left her for what seemed like forever.

.

Three years later, Sakura saw him and his beautifulpretty hands again, this time covered partially in gloves, one resting on the sheath of his katana while the other stayed free, the fingers longer than she remembered. A fleeting image of those hands in hers, little girlish fantasies of bringing him home with their hands tucked in a small, shy embrace-and she shook her head vigorously, those hands were now wielding his katana, those hands were now crackling with the Chidori, those hands were now aiming for her; she couldn't afford to be distracted by such inconsequential things.

And so, Sakura clenched her own gloved hands into fists, glowing with chakra, as she ran towards Sasuke with new resolve to prove herself to him, to bring him back, to ensure a future for her childish fantasies of linking hands with him.

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A year, and Sakura's hands trembled over Sasuke's back, the kunai poised over the Uchiha emblem shaking along with her as tears of defeat streamed down her face. Again, she crumbled, resolve withering as a clamor of _Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun_ echoed in her head and then, "Sakura, thank you,"-and she realized that she never stood a chance against those wretched, everything-feelings of her heart.

He seemed to sense her presence-he always could, a part of her acknowledged with undertones of longing-and in a split-second, Sasuke's hands, his lovely, lovely hands, were wrapped around her throat.

The first thought that flitted across her mind was that his hands were rougher, more calloused, now. His fingers were possibly longer, easily circling more than half of her neck, and she was sure his skin was scarred now.

It was funny how here he was, trying to kill her, and all she could think about were his hands. Memories of her genin musings drifted through her brain as Sakura struggled in his chokehold, all the while reminding her of the bitter irony of it all-that those very pianist hands that she adored and dreamed of holding, that had treated her with tenderness unknown to her, were now touching her, embracing her in its death-grip.

Sakura briefly wondered what it would have felt like to hold his hand someday as her vision began to blur and her lungs screamed for air. And, no matter the situation, how utterly wrong it was to feel content now that it was his hand was taking the life out of her, because then, at least she would die by his hand.

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It was the war that changed the both of them, painting Sasuke and Sakura as adults with priorities and realizations and resolves, both good and bad.

Sakura knew that Sasuke's sudden alliance with Konoha did not mean that he had left his past (lies and murder and poor, manipulated, broken boy and brother, brother, brother) behind. She knew that there were deeper, more sinister things to him still, she could see it in his eyes and in the way his hands, now toughened and hardened and somehow still beautiful, clenched and unclenched themselves, thirsting for battle, thirsting for blood, plainly showing his restlessness.

Her little fantasies were shattered completely by now, grim realities of war and grudges making her grow up too fast, too soon, and Sakura decided that she'd be damned if she ever thought about holding his hands again; she feared them a little, now, and of what they could do to her, and she knew Sasuke was too far gone to ever let his once-perfect hands entwine with her own.

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The war ended, and Sasuke returned, to Sakura's mild surprise. She hadn't expected him to come so compliantly, but she brushed it off as Naruto's persistence paying off or as homage to Itachi, because he was back and that was all that mattered, and because she was weary of looking for reasons and explanations when none were ever offered to her.

She was an independent, fierce, acknowledged kunoichi now, an adult who gave little time to indulge in the wanderings of her mind as she did when she was younger. So, she treated Sasuke with polite indifference, building a relationship of "friends" with him, but never crossing the lines she drew for herself, because she refused to let herself get hurt again.

Until the light touches and brushes started.

At first, it seemed accidental when his defined fingers lightly bumped against her own when they walked side-by-side, or when his hands ghosted over her thigh when sitting next to her, reaching for something on her side.

But then, when Sasuke's still-beautifully-structured hands lingered on her own more than once when helping her up when she was sprawled on the grass, lazy to get up on her own, Sakura couldn't help feeling not only slightly suspicious, but hopeful and aghast (at her traitor heart, which began to renew itself and thump wildly every time his blessedly damned pianist hands were so dangerously close to hers) and a whirlwind of emotions that made her feel twelve again.

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It was a rainy afternoon, months later, when Sakura, who was absorbed in a thick, fat novel, sitting on the floor leaning against the window of Konoha's enormous library, looked up after a while to find Sasuke seated next to her, reading a historical text, his lovelysmooth pinky finger achingly close to her own, that rested on the floor next to his.

She stared at it for a couple of seconds before lifting her green, green eyes to him, surprised in finding Sasuke's own trained on their almost-touching hands lying on the wood-paneled library floor.

Then, after what seemed like forever (but never was), his structured fingers reached out for hers and their hands were locked, palm against palm and skin against skin, as she watched their fingers intertwine, enchanted. Sakura whipped her head up as Sasuke's pianist hands and his touch made her blood pulse like a joyride off the edge of the world and feelings long subdued come exploding through the now-feeble walls that held them in. Her lips parted as she watched Sasuke lift their embracing hands, as if holding them up so that the dull light of the library could illuminate them.

He too, studied their holding-hands, and, in a voice that signed the deal, said quietly, "We fit. Perfectly."

And Sakura fell in love with him all over again.

_~fin_

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	2. love, hunt me down

**Forgive me if it's terrible. :P**

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**prompt two: lessons learned**

_**two: love, hunt me down**_

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Sasuke is eight when he learns his first lessons. His personality does a 180-degree turn on its heels, and his _griefsorrowangerhate_-filled eyes paint a picture of a boy who became old before his time. He learns that the world could strip you of all you ever held dear to your young heart, that love is a lie, that brothers masked who they really were with the skill of an actor. So, the "last" Uchiha took upon his slaughtered clan's burdens of pride and prestige and trained to live up to its name, to avenge and walk a lonely, desolate path for the sake of the dead innocence of who he used to be.

Sakura is nine when life teaches her its first lesson. She is shy and naive and timid, an anomaly of _pink-hair-green-eyes-big-forehead-don't-hide-it-Sa kura!_ with dreams of being strong and beautiful like Ino. It is then she happens to chance upon Sasuke training, and as she hides behind a tree and watches him with wide eyes, her heart thumps faster while her cheeks bloom. She learns that age doesn't matter when it comes to love, that there is such a thing as love-at-first-sight, that you would think admiration was infatuation and infatuation was love. So, she begins to become so very conscious of herself around that beautiful black-haired boy with the sorrow-eyes, and she never ceases to longingly watch him from afar.

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Sasuke is eleven when fate throws a spanner in the works of his existence, placing him in Team 7; it was unbeknownst to him that the fragile, tentative bonds he formed with them would eventually become so strong that he would find it difficult to leave them behind. Life teaches him that no one is ever really alone, that the importance of people you called so hesitatingly "friend" would grow with each passing day, that second chances are bestowed upon everyone-he has a family in Team 7 again, as much as he refuses to admit it.

Sakura is twelve when she is placed in the same team as the boy she adored; her excitement knows no bounds. She is lost to swells of admiration for one person only, at first, but then life teaches her severely that there is more to the blond boy whose affections she ignores, and the mysterious sensei she has little respect for, than what meets the eye. She begins to treasure her relationships with Team 7, and begins to understand just how dangerous and scarring it was to be a shinobi.

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Sasuke is twelve when the Chuunin Exams go horribly wrong, as a sinister, snakelike presence oozing with dark power decides to mark him as a vessel, tattooing a curse on his neck and awakening, almost encouraging the deep, nebulous power frothing inside of him, fueled by the aching desire for revenge. He learns that power is a flighty temptress, choosing her victims wisely, and giving them one chance to run after her, upon giving them a taste of what she is like. He learns how mad he feels with the rush and the high of the curse seal's power running his brain.

Sakura is still twelve when she sees her beloved Sasuke-kun..._not himself_, defending her but still being so unnaturally cruel that is scares her more than the prospect of dying at the Sound nin's hands ever did. And life teaches her the dangers of losing someone to the lure of power, the need to fear them, and that only love could bring them back. This lesson is imprinted in her mind as she runs and begs her beautifully broken boy to stop.

And he does.

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Sasuke is still twelve when he learns that choices are always hard to make, that someone's love is strong enough to make you think of staying, that there is nothing worse than knowing that your now-precious people were in danger of being lost to you. So, with sadness and hints of regret, he knocks his pink-haired girl out (she will always be his in a way and nothing will ever change that) and battles his best friend and leaves.

Sakura is thirteen when she finally learns that love is admiration and so much more, that your love is still not strong enough to make someone stay, that the choices another made could crush your heart with grief. So, knowing she cannot keep him here, she opens herself to her darling boy one last time, baring her all (she is naked, raw, her heart screaming for him to _see_), before she is knocked out and tenderly laid on a bench.

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Sasuke is fifteen and then sixteen when he learns that some bonds cannot be broken, cannot be replaced and cannot be made sense of. He learns the hard way that revenge was never the answer, that everything was never as it seemed, that all brothers wanted was for their loved ones to live, happy. He learns of the dirty, manipulative games people play (massacres on orders and martyrs and "Sorry, Sasuke, but this is the last time,") and rage and despair wreak havoc in his mind as he succumbs to insanity and insatiable truths that give him bitterness. He kills and kills and wraps a hand around his (_once-his_) pink-haired girl with_ crush her crush her_ echoing through his head.

Sakura is fleetingly fifteen and then suddenly sixteen when she learns what it is like to be strong, until her black-haired boy enters the picture again and shakes her foundations. She learns that lies are maddening things that wind themselves around your eyes and betray the truth, breaking already damaged lives and already damaged hearts (Sasuke-kun and "Naruto, I love you," and "I will kill Sasuke-kun," because she loves him so and his hand around her neck). She learns now that choices are difficult to make, even harder when making them for a greater cause. She learns how people can fall far, far, away, into an abyss she cannot reach into. She learns how beautiful broken boys who once cared can change and turn on you for reasons unfathomable and unknown. She learns how to feel jaded and devoid of hope.

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Sasuke is still sixteen when life throws the lesson again at him-_hard_-that second chances are given to everyone, that sacrifices for the ones you loved were the ones worth making. He learns how he was loved all along, that he was too blind to see it until now. He realizes now the path of redemption that lays open to him, welcoming him. He hears_ them_ calling, and he decides to uphold a legacy, not the Uchiha's, not Konoha's, but Itachi's, and fight for what his brother gave everything to protect. It is almost easy to fall back in place with Team 7, and life tells him again that these bonds were never broken, that they were stronger than before, if so possible.

And he acknowledges that. He acknowledges Naruto, and he allows _her_ name to roll pleasantly and familiar off his tongue, as he finally learns to see her as an equal. Throughout the war, his eyes linger on Sakura, as he misses life's last lesson for him.

Sakura is nearly seventeen when life teaches her to hope, to keep faith, to believe. She understands so much more now, and though not as optimistic as her blond boy, is still filled with a sense of pride and nostalgia and the realization that everything is going to be okay, no matter what. Her face lights up when she sees Sasuke, and she cannot help but beam when he saves her, almost reflexively, and she certainly doesn't miss his proud smirk at her abilities.

"Sasuke-kun!" she cries more than once, as life teaches her that as long as you chase after something worth fighting for, you will be sure to reach it somehow.

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Sasuke and Sakura are both twenty when they finally recognize the final lesson life has taught them. For Sasuke, it is that bonds and love are intertwined with their heartstrings, and that they can never be done away with; that forgiveness and redemption is always around the corner of the bleakest path. For Sakura it is that love will surpass all hate, and that every living day is worth unquantifiable amounts; that forgiving and and believing was always the way you should live.

They both agree that life's last, most important lesson, is what keeps them together now.

The lesson learned is that there is always another half for a person, a soulmate, who is destined to save them, hold them and never let them go.

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	3. titanium

**Warning: I wrote this when I was sick. I am still sick. I am on meds. That is all. now let me crawl into a hole and die**

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**prompt three: watching**

_**three: titanium**_

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"I've always been watching you," he confesses quietly to her, as they lay on their backs, star-gazing on the roof above Sakura's room in her apartment. She has just finished pointing out her favorite constellation to him-Orion-and the atmosphere around them became comfortably silent.

She looks over at Sasuke with surprise. "Sasuke-kun?" she questions, doubtful if she has heard him correctly.

He closes his eyes, and Sakura studies him. Illuminated by the full moon, she can see every ethereal detail of his form, and is suddenly filled with a strong sense of love for Sasuke, and everything he is.

His eyes, midnight-colored, reopen, and Sasuke turns his head towards her, gaze boring firmly into her own. He doesn't miss the way her lips part softly in slight surprise, or how her jade orbs widen a little, blinking prettily.

"I've always watched you, Sakura," he repeats, with full sincerity in his words.

Sakura, pink hair softened by the gentle light of the night, stares at him for a moment before turning her gaze back to the stars glittering above them. After a moment's silence, she takes a small breath, and says, "What makes you say that?" Before he can answer, she continues, "God knows, Sasuke-kun, I've been watching yours and Naruto's backs ever since we became Team 7. Even during the war, I always felt a little less...well..." she trails off, trying to find the right word.

"Less?" he supplies helpfully. She nods, a lock of pink hair tumbling onto her forehead with the movement. "Less," she repeats. "Less needed. Less powerful. Not exactly _equal_."

Sasuke ponders over her words for a moment. "But you're strong," he speaks, a small frown gracing his features. "You're a part of our team, you've surpassed Tsunade and you're one of the next Sannin, like Naruto and I."

"Yes, well," she huffs, slightly exasperated. "It's kinda hard to remember that when I've got an Uchiha and a Jinchuuriki still stuck with the notion that I'm a defenseless twelve-year-old. Even Kakashi gives me space, but you guys..."

His frown deepens at that. "Naruto and I made a promise," he says matter-of-factly, "to always protect you, no matter what. Besides, you're our team's medic nin. We can't afford to let you get hurt."

She rolls her eyes. "Still, that makes me feel pretty useless, you know, when you do all the fighting." A puff of air escapes Sakura's lips as she irritably attempts to blow away the lock of hair on her forehead that keeps trying to get in her eyes. "I can't help feeling like that still, sometimes."

Sasuke's hand reaches out and brushes the strands of hair out of her face, as he takes this opportunity to peer down at her, now resting close to her on his side. Her pea-green eyes stare up at him, pupils adjusting to the change in light, now that his face is eclipsing the moon.

"You're strong," he says again, after a minute or so. "Like...titanium. I've always been watching you, and every time I saw you, you were stronger than before. And during the war...I was the one watching your back."

She starts a little. "Really?" her lips part again, making her look like a fairy with her now-wider eyes and pink hair pooling around her face.

"Yeah," he admits. "And not just in terms of physical strength...but in terms of..._you_," Sasuke trails off, trying to express what he is feeling, looking at her now. "I'm still watching," he admits further. "Maybe I'm physically stronger, but you're the one who understands things better than anyone else. You're the one who keeps us all together." He pauses, feeling thoroughly awkward, and lies back down next to her, the tips of his ears glowing red.

Sakura takes a moment for the information to sink in before understanding what he means to say. She beams, and takes his hand, squeezing it affectionately. He, in turn, shuffles closer to her, allowing her to rest her head on his arm.

"Thanks," she sighs into him, and he presses a small kiss to the top of her head as they continue stargazing. A stray ray of moonlight catches on the diamond sparkling on Sakura's left finger.

_Titanium, huh..._

She smiles, and everything is all right.

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